anime

See also: The Myth of Russian Aggression (NEO, 3/8/14), US, NATO Support the Ukrainian Army’s Bloody Offensive (GR, 3/8/14).

Brave Crimean prosecutor, Natalya Poklonskaya, was offered her job after several men refused such a dangerous position. She showed leadership when Crimeans wanted to quit Ukraine, saying that the will of the people was the only rule of law. She became an involuntary internet sensation, however, because of her passion and beauty as she delivered her defense of democracy at a press conference. Her looks and gutsy presentation inspired admiring anime-style images throughout the world, gaining her overwhelming popularity, particularly in Japan. NATO policy makers, however, seem impervious to her honest message and she is now among forty officials put on a sanctions list by Tokyo. This can probably only extend her popular impact because she is already seen, rightly, as an iconic heroine battling fascists.

Editor Candobetter.net: This article was originally published as " "Japan's darling Natalia Poklonskaya on Tokyo Russia sanctions list," on RT, August 5, 2014. We republish it here with some concerns that we could be seen to be furthering sexist treatment of a courageous public servant. The important educational content of her speech and actions, however, are embedded in the package and the principles she espouses are as attractive as her personal presentation. If she were modelling clothes, she would not be an internet sensation, but she is not modelling clothes; she is modelling principles that humans everywhere value highest.

The Sanctions list

The list, made public by the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, includes former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, a number of top figures in the self-proclaimed People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as people believed to be "directly responsible for the annexation of Crimea."

"Japan will continue our coordination with G7 nations and the international community to achieve a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the Ukraine situation," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular briefing, according to AFP. "We have made our decisions to select those who were directly responsible for the annexation of Crimea and destabilization of eastern Ukraine, and after we reviewed sanctions by the United States and EU."

Adoration by the Japanese online community did not save the Crimean prosecutor, Natalya Poklonskaya, from being added to Tokyo's black list.

Poklonskaya took up her post just days ahead of the March 16 Crimean referendum on independence from Ukraine, after four of her male colleagues refused to take the risk.

Her first press conference gained her YouTube stardom, garnering 3.7 million views in just three days. Her youth, good looks, quiet voice and emphatic statements inspired a lot of anime-style images of Poklonskaya, and earned her the nickname of 'Prosecutie'.

In Russia she received an online nickname "nyasha" (sweetie), to which Poklonskaya reacted by saying she would prefer to be perceived as a prosecutor and will not tolerate any meaningless "nyash" or "myash" while at her post. That secured 'Nyash-Myash' as a popular nickname for the young prosecutor.

She has not yet reacted to being included on Japan's list of sanctioned officials. The response to Tokyo's sanctions has mainly come from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Moscow now believes it "inappropriate" to hold diplomatic consultations between deputy head of the Foreign Ministry, Igor Morgulov, with his Japanese counterpart, Shinsuke Sugiyama, scheduled for the end of August.

"Now that Tokyo has adopted additional anti-Russian sanctions, we consider it inappropriate to hold this meeting. Consultations have been postponed," deputy head of the ministry's information department, Maria Zakharova, told journalists.

Apart from individuals, two Crimea-based companies have also fallen under Japanese sanctions – energy company Chernomorneftegaz and oil base Feodosia. Tokyo has also banned all imports from Crimea.

Japan has announced sanctions against Russia before. In April, it said it would not issue visas for 23 Russian officials.

Switzerland also expanded its sanctions against Russia on Tuesday. It announced the addition of 26 individuals and 18 companies to its sanctions list. This comes despite comments over the weekend from Switzerland's Economy Minister, Johann Schneider-Ammann, who said his country wouldn't duplicate EU sanctions against Russia.

If you thought that the affairs of the Ukraine and Crimea were too abstract for you, maybe this will make you more curious. Natalya Poklonskaya is or was a government prosecutor in the Ukraine Crimea. She has been made into an anime character in a video. She made strong statements about upholding the rule of law and is now on the illegitimate coup-installed Ukraine government's wanted list. The Ukraine government came to power as a result of a US/NATO orchestrated coup in the resource depletion wars of the 21st century. Russia is defending its oil and gas pipelines in the region. Russia had the very first and the longest petroleum product pipeline in the world in the late 19th century and British, US and European governments and commercial interests have been plotting to get more control there ever since. The region is criss-crossed with oil and gas pipelines going in many directions from Baku to as far as Germany and China. Natalya Poklonskaya rightly wants her message to be heard and dismisses this video, however it may be the way to get her message better appreciated worldwide, so we are promoting it. And we include in this article a video with Poklonskaya's real speech, with English sub-titles.

[Candobetter.net editor: Retitled on 23/4/2014 from "Crimean prosecutor, Natalya Poklonskaya, celebrated as anime character," due to surprisingly few reads about this remarkable woman.]

The internet fame of Crimea’s chief prosecutor, Natalya Poklonskaya, rages on. A patchy music clip made from Poklonskaya’s videos has scored millions of views on YouTube, with a celebrity opposition figure calling the attorney a "sex symbol of Russia."

Here is the actual speech that Pokloskaya made to the press on 17 March 2014, with English subtitles.

Footage of Poklonskaya's emotional speech on the coup d’état and “chaos” in Ukraine has been making rounds on the internet since March, but this is the first time it has been set to music.

The chorus of the music mix, compiled by an anonymous internet DJ known only by his alias 'Enjoykin,' could certainly be described as simplistic.

In a combination of the official speech and several informal interviews, Poklonskaya appears to be singing: “Power. Blood. Nyash-myash. Blood. Power. Crimea is ours,” (which rhymes in Russian).

The “nyash-myash” bit was apparently taken out from Poklonskaya’s own reaction to her becoming an anime star and receiving a Russian nickname of
Nyasha – to which she replied that she would prefer to be perceived as a prosecutor and will not allow any “nyash” or “myash” while at her post.

On a more serious note, the rest of the clip offers cuts from Poklonskaya's solemn statement which said that “the anti-constitutional mayhem has led to a massive bloodshed...we have no moral right to step aside from our people...our task is to get the work of the prosecutor’s office back on track in this country.”

It also features some original Japanese-style animation of Poklonskaya fighting monsters and sending a toy boat of 'friendship' to a girl who is possibly representing Ukraine.

The video, which was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday afternoon, managed to grasp 3,791,552 views and counting by Friday.

The 34-year-old blonde, who is piled up with work as the Republic of Crimea transitions into a Russian region, was shown the clip by Kseniya Sobchak – a Russian opposition activist, journalist, and celebrity.

Sobchak said she was proud to be “the first journalist who showed the beautiful prosecutor Natalya Poklonskaya the 'Nyash-myash' clip,” stating on Twitter that “she is so beautiful – the sex symbol of Russia.”

It is believed that Poklonskaya took the job after four of her male colleagues refused to take the risk days ahead of the March 16 Crimean referendum on independence from Ukraine, in which 96.77 percent of voters chose to join Russia. The Black Sea republic was then accepted into the Russian Federation on March 21.

The courageous blonde has said that she will “prove” she is worthy of the position, adding that she is not afraid of persecution by Kiev. Poklonskaya is wanted by the Security Service of Ukraine on charges of “violent overthrow of constitutional order and takeover of government power.”

NOTES

This article has been adapted from one on Russia Today, entitled "Crimean prosecutor music clip hits 3.7 mn views in three days"